13 September 2016

This week’s blog has two distinct parts. My Leica M8 got an outing as an infrared camera during the weekend, which provided the first seven images. And on Thursday morning I flew to Cardiff to visit Monica before going on to Oxford on Saturday to attend a conference. So most of the pictures are from the trip to Wales.

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First the infrared images. I took the M8 with me to my golf lesson. This is the path running along one of the fairways:

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A fellow student on the practice range:

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Water hazard, hole 11:

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I also took it along while walking Cheeta. This is the park where she fertilizes the grass:

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And I also took the M8 to work. Detail of the new building, which I have photographed more conventionally recently:

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The outside terrace at the office:

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On Thursday I spent a long time waiting to drop off my suitcase at Alicante airport for my flight to Cardiff. The summer vacation season is coming to an end, and the airport was full of Brits and other northern Europeans on their way home:

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This little girl had been provided with seating and entertainment for the wait:

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A few hours later, I was at Cardiff airport and so was my suitcase:

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I made my way to Cardiff centre, checked into my hotel, and then went to meet my daughter when she got off work at 5. Along the way, I took a snap of this lady with a hairdo that made me think of Mickey Mouse:

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Then the happy reunion with Monica. The first order of business was the pub:

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We then walked to Monica’s house. As always, I looked for little details along the way, such as this anti-UKIP sticker near Cardiff Castle:

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Not sure what “organic nursery” means. I suppose it refers to the food being fed to the children:

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Monica in front of the house she shares with a few other young people. The car on the left is my rental; the psychadelic one on the right belongs to a visitor:

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The neighbour’s front door:

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The fridge in the kitchen, with greetings reflecting the international nature of present and past inhabitants:

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On Friday morning Monica went to work, and I drove to the town of Brecon, about 40 miles north of Cardiff. The A470 highway leads through the beautiful landscapes of Brecon Beacon national park:

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This is the footpath to Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales:

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I walked up a hillside and greeted the sheep:

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The view of the landscape:

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I drove on to Brecon and walked around the town. The ubiquitous war memorial outside a church:

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I visited the market hall:

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On the way back to the car, I happened upon this promising sign:

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I went inside and had a coffee to start:

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The upstairs reading area:

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And the books, of course. I did not leave empty-handed:

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A brief pit stop on the way back to Cardiff and another look at the beautiful Welsh countryside:

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I picked up Monica from work, and we went on another walkabout in Cardiff centre:

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Pikachu outside St David’s shopping centre:

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Selfie:

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Another woman with funky hair:

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Marketing in action:

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Three girls in full flight, outside the Millenium Stadium:

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A pint in the street:

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Educational mural inside the pub:

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We ended up having dinner at Wagamama in Cardiff Bay, one of our usual places:

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Saturday morning was rainy and dreary. I checked out from the hotel and drove to Monica’s place to take her grocery shopping, another thing we usually do so as to take advantage of the rental car. But first we needed our caffeine at the coffee shop inside the large Tesco:

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Two ladies having their morning coffee:

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Monica shopping. I love British supermarkets. The choice in a large Tesco like this one beats anything we have in Spain (I am referring to packaged goods; our fish and meat counters are better):

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The shopping done, we went back to Monica’s to drop off the stuff, ran a few other errands, and finally returned the car at Cardiff Central station from where I was taking the train to Oxford. Before I left, we went for an early lunch in a nearby burrito place:

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And then we said goodbye, I got on the train and began the journey to Oxford. After crossing into England, the train passed the area around Bristol and Bath, a part of the country I also know well. The rain continued, matching my slightly melancholy mood: